Illuminated pump dial



M 0. W. HOFFRITZ LULWU ILLUMINATED PUMP DIAL Filed June 27, 1930 ,7 [NV TOR.

' Patented Mar. 14, .1933

PATENT OFFICE CHARLES W. HOFFRITZ, OF

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ILLUMINATED PUMP DIAL Application filed June 27 This invention relates to improvements in gasolene pumps and more particularly to the dial thereon.

One of the objects of the present invent on is to providea simple,-eflicient and inexpensive pump dial which is rendered visible at great distances at night by means of neon-illum nated characters displayed upon the surface of the dial.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a gasolene pump dial with means designed to effectively seal the various assembled parts thereof against the entrance of any of the fumes originating from the gasolene, to prevent contamination of the neon gas by the gasolene fumes, and to safeguard the electrical connections as well.

Another object of this invention is to provide a source of colored illumination for the display dial of a asolene pump and the l1ke wherein use is ma e of concealed illumination arts so that only the translucent letters, figures or characters on the dial will be illuminated. Q A final object thereof is to provide, in a gasolene pump means for securlng a dial panel interiorly of the dial case, the panel having sand-blasted characters, designed to be illuminated -'by means of a hidden neon tube, the light raysemanating from the neon tube passing through the peripheral edge only of the dial panel and reaching the sandblasted characters to rende illuminated at night.

With theabove and other objects in View my invention consists in the combination, arrangement and details of construction disclosed in the drawing and specification, and then more particularly pointed out in the appended claims. I

In the drawing, wherein similar reference characters designate similarparts throughout the respective views,

Figure 1 is a' vertical sectional elevation of the dial sectionof a gasolene pump,

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the device taken at right angles to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is-a, fragmental front,el evation of the dial panel,

Referring to the drawing, 10 designates a r the same highly 1930. Serial No. 464,413.

cover plate formed with a major cylindrical housing N. The interior of a transformer containing box 14 is designated 11 which is formed hollow. The top section of the. box 14 has a thickened web 13 at the point where it is desired to. secure fasteners thereinto to secure the cover plate in correct position against the box 14. In the box 14 is mounted the conventional transformer 15 of approved design and construction, which is formed concentrically with the cylindrical housing N with an annular portion 16 'approximately of the'same diameter-as thehousing N. In the housing N is operatively fitted a glass or other transparent front panel 17, designed to be retained therein by means of the split contractible ring 24 or the like.

The dis lay dial panel is designated 33 and is prefera 1y made of glass. panel will have the desired characters hereinafter to be described sandblasted thereupon so as to be rendered translucent while the main background of this display dial panel will be opaque. The panel 33 is held into a pressed engagement so .as to be snugly squeezed between a pair of annular resilient packing rings or gaskets 18 and 31, these gasor rim portion of the dial panel 33. In this manner, it will be observed, the housing N will have its interior surface 21 completely and effectively sealed against the possibility of intermixture of the fumes resulting from the gasolene contained in with thev neon gas or any that may be present in th of the transformer box 14, or which might be found in the housing N itself. This is an important feature of my invention since the neon tube 40 must'be guarded against all'foreign influences.

. The cover plate 10 is attached removably to the open end of thetransformer box 14 by means ofsuitable screws or other fasteners 19, which penetrate the coverplate, and a continuous endless 39 having the same shape and outline as the invention itself. The gasket 39 is interposed between the cover plate 10 and the front edge of the, box 14, and between the cover plate derivatives thereof e hollow interior 11 This display the pump proper i ets overlying opposite faces of the marginal packing ring or gasket and a back plate 25, so that the fasteners 19 1 that other fasteners 36 will draw together the .cover plate, packing 39, and back plate 25, after passing through these parts. The packing strip 39'also serves to completely seal the neon tube 40 from interferences caused by foreign matter entering the chamber in which the tube is positioned. M designates the inner circumference of the annular por- 7 tion 16.

e back plate is formed concentrically with the portion 16 but diametrically opposite to the latter with a lateral abutment 29 against which the packing strip 18 contacts, when the housing N, the front cover plate and rear cover plate are all drawn together into a clamped unit. The front glass panel 17 bears against the annular ledge 32 formed upon the front cover plate. The back plate 25 is formed with a groove 11' in which is adapted to extend the cylindrical portion of the neon tube 40in such a manner as to lie opposite the peripheral edge of the dial panel 33,

. as shown in Figure 2, and so as also to be in the same-plane with this dial panel.

In Figure 3 the manner of inscriptions borne and displayed by the dial panel is disclosed. 35 designates the translucent characters preferably sand-blasted upon the face of the display dial panel 33. The neon tube is formed with the parallel spaced branches or offsets 41, 42 -which,extend beyond the confines of the packing strips 18 and 31 into the transformer box 14, as shown 1n Figure 1. The branches 41, 42 of the neon last-named legend appears.

tube 40 then spread outwardly and form the oppositely extending bends 43, 44 which connect directly into the transformer, 1n a manner known to those skilled in the art.

At 51, on the dial panel 33 will be d1splayed in a translucent manner the legend Gallons. Midway between the upper and lower dead center positions of the panel will be displayed translucently the legend 4 Gallon in any effective manner. .At 52 this At the lower dead enter position is displayed translucently the legend in conjunction with the 1nscription Gallons in any eflectlve manner, as at 52a. Diametrically opposite to the legend A; Gallonsv is displayed translucently the legend Gallons in any effective manner. 50. designates the pointer which indicates movably the particular quantity of gasolene being pumped. A designates by means of the circumferentially extending series of arrows the lines of rays of colored light-which emanate from the neon tube 40, and which immediately penetrate through the dial panel 33 edgewise or peripherally thereof and it will be seen that the rays of light A pass radially towards the center of the panel and hence the light, the moment same traverses the series of characters 35 will conspicuously illuminate the same in any color produced by the bombardment of the electrodes connected in the conventional manner to the neon tube 40 (not shown)i As a result of this arrangement of the neon tube in a manner that causes it to encircle the peripheral edge only of the display panel 33, and as a result of the opaqueness of the background of this panel, the characters 35 will stand out at night in bold relief so as to be readable from great distances. The source of colored light, or the neon tube 40 will, in no manner, be observed-from outside the dial. And the neon tube 'will be so effectively sealed in its compartment by the various compressible gaskets or packing rings as to exclude foreign particles or substances from entering the same, as it is known that gasolene fumes are volatile enough to find their way into the tiniest of crevices.

From the foregoing it 'will be seen that I produce an illuminated pump. dial which will 'a dial casing carried thereby, a transparent cover for the dial, a glass dial havin a series of translucent characters thereon isplayed thru the transparent cover,'a neon tube arranged in the casing concentrically of said dial and diffusing light upon the dial so' as to illuminate the characters thereof, a transformer case adjacent to the dial into which the neon tube extends, and a fluid-tight seal means rendering the separate parts of-the dial, transformer, cover, and tube proof against entrance of moisture, air and the like.

2. A device of the kind described consisting of a display device having a dial case formed with an internal ledge of annular shape, a cover plate of circular formation having a transformer-containing box closing part at its upper end, a front'glass panel marginal edge of the dial panel and engaging respectively against the front and rear cover havin plates, and a colored hght-producin neon tube encircling the peripheral edge of t e dial panel for difiusing light rays radially sand-blasted characters of translucent tendency displayed in an opaque background whereby the radial rays of colored light ema: nating from theneon tube may completely illuminate saiid characters at night.

3. In a device of the kind described in combination a dial case, a cover plate for said dial case, the cover plate and dial case hav ng maf'ginal portions producing a housing, 011'- cular in cross-section, a circular eon tube disposed laterally of the circular housing and a source of current supply outslde Y the dial case, means'for providing a fluid tight connection for the source of current supply between the cover plate and the dial .case, an opaque dial having translucent charactors receiving rays of colored light peripherally of the dial rom the neon tube, means producing a fluid tight seal between the cover plate and the dial case, and means removably securing the cover plate upon the dial case.

4. In combination a circular dial case having a marginal web, a cover plate for the dial case also having a marginal web, the case web being formed with a semi-circular coextensive seat outside the case, the web of the cover plate also being formed with a coextensive semicircular seat, the outermost surfaces of the two webs being flat so as to be arranged in confronting relation packing ring, interposed so as to directly contact the webs to proavide a. fluid-tight seal for the .circular chamber provided by both webs when joined together, means clamping the cover plate removably against the packing strip and the dial case, a display device exposed .to view thru the cover plate and having transparent characters thereon, and a a circular neon tube lodged in the circular chamber and diffusing light rays to illumi nate directly the interior of the dial case and toindirectly illuminate the transparent characters of the display device.

5. In a device as described, a dial case, a glass dial in said case having an opaque face onwhich appear translucent characters, neon means arranged peripherally of the dial for illuminating the' same, and rubber gaskets interposed between the dial and adjacent surfaces of the case to render a fluid tight seal between these parts. I L

6-. As a newarticle of manufacture a circularcase having an internal medial flange,

a cover plate having a display .0 ning, an opaque lass dial carried by sai case having visi le translucent characters packing rings'disposed between the eripheral surfaces of the cover plate, and means for clampingthe cover aplate home upon the case to provide a flui packing rings eral contacting surfaces of the cover p ate and. the cover nection between cover and case, a circular portions of the dial to hold the latter in a fluid tight connection in the case.

7 As a new article of manufacture a box having an open end, a cover for said box, a circular dia'l case formed in a plane with said cover, the inner wall of the box being spaced away from the cover to provide a narrow channel communicating with the dial case, a cover plate formed in a plane with the inner part of the inner wall of the box, the portion of the cover Plate diametrically opposite the inner wall 0 the box being clamped against the side of the dial case, a glass dial positioned so as to project marginally into the narrow channel, a transformer in the box,

and a circular neon tube surrounding the,

peripheral edge of the glass dial and having a connection to the transformer.

8. As a new article of manufacture a dis-- play device formed with a circular case having an mternal medial flange, a cover plate, a glass dial carried by the case having translucent characters, said cover plate and circular case contacting 1n a manner to space the flange out of contact w1th the adjacent surface of the cover plate,

clamped between the peri hnd case, means for clamping the cover plate ome upon the case to prov de a fluid tight connection between cover plate and case, a circular neon tube seated between the case plate. around the peripheral edge of the glass dial for illuminating the translucent characters, and packing rings flanklng the dial, the internal flange of the case and the inner face of the cover plate respectively.

In witness whereof he has hereunder, set no his hand-this 8th day of January, 1930.

CHARLES w. HOFFRITZ.

circular case,

tight coni the peripheral portions of 

